TalkSPORT journalist labels Nick Woltemade 'worst signing in Premier League history'
Nick Woltemade continues to be scrutinised by Newcastle United fans and outsiders following his £69 million record move from VfB Stuttgart.
After a promising start to his Premier League career, there's no denying that the German international has struggled of late.
It's just not clicking for him at Newcastle as a striker, and now Eddie Howe has pulled the forward back into the midfield, similar to what he did to Joelinton, although Woltemade is being asked to operate more as a supporting forward than a box-to-box midfielder.
In four games in his new role, three have seen Woltemade do a decent job; he even broke his scoring duck first time out in that role, but on Tuesday night against Qarabag he was practically invisible except for one fantastic turn and through ball for Jacob Murphy.
Adrian Durham needs to settle down and take his meds
We're not going to sit here and say the sun shines out of Wotlemade's backside, because clearly he has a lot to work on, but what was talkSPORT's Adrian Durham smoking when he claimed Woltemade is the worst signing in Premier League history?
"Nick Woltemade, I am going to say this - is the worst signing in Premier League history. This isn't anything against him, it isn't personal - I hear he's a very good teammate.
"But £65-70million for one of those, and we've got to delve deeper.
"I was in Newcastle the other night for the Qarabag game, the tie was done, so it was a chance for players to shine, and it was a night Newcastle had a free hit. Their expensive striker needs goals, and he starts in central midfield.
"Now, this is possibly because he doesn't trust him up front. He didn't play well in central midfield. Eddie Howe said he didn't play well in central midfield, saying it is the least he's affected the game since he arrived at the club.
"Now, on the talkSPORT YouTube channel, there is a programme called Inside The Toon, and it's all things Newcastle United, and Jack Cunningham is one of the contributors.
"He said, 'Newcastle should build the team around Woltemade'. Well, if Newcastle want to go down to the Championship that might be a brilliant idea. I do wonder what planet this guy is on.
"Is he a nine? No. One goal in 18 games is not a nine. Is he a midfielder? No, definitely not.
"Is he a ten? Have a look at the number tens around the Premier League. Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Bruno Fernandes. Morgan Gibbs-White etc.
"There are better number tens in the Championship than Woltemade. Two Premier League assists all season, and when did Newcastle play with a ten? They aren't going to rip up that three-man midfield to put Woltemade at ten.
"Let's get this right. He is a footballer, he's got talent. But he has not got a place in the Newcastle United team, and I think that is the fundamental flaw here.
"It's not about him as a person, it's not about him as a player even. But it's the way Newcastle play, the fact they needed to replace Isak, Howe is putting him all over the park trying to find a place for him.
"£70m and he hasn't even got a place in the team? That's your big signing. That's a joke signing. So pound-for-pound, for what a team needed and what he brings, I make Woltemade the worst-ever Premier League signing."
Nick Woltemade isn't even the worst signing this season
Durham did make some decent points after his hyperbolic start, but Nick Woltemade isn't even the worst signing of this season, never mind in Premier League history. Hell, he's not even Newcastle's worst signing of this season; that honour has to go to Anthony Elanga.
We've already said that Nick Woltemade needs to work on a lot of things to get up to speed in the Premier League, and Eddie Howe admitted the same in his pre-match press conference this morning, but he is nowhere near the worst signing in Premier League history.
And even Jack Cunningham's comments about building a team around Woltemade aren't as daft as they sound. Part of the problem this season is that this team doesn't know how to play with Woltemade, so if you built a team around him that could, we'd get the best out of him.
